Nana’s Meat Spaghetti Sauce

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

8-12 quart non stick sauce pot

  • 2-3 packages of meatloaf mix and or ground sweet sausage (I have used both) 
  • Fresh Basil  good handful
    3-4 large cans crush tomatoes        with or without basil and garlic 
  • 1-2 large can dice tomatoes                          “ 
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, they help to sweeten the sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 5 large cloves of crushed fresh garlic 
  • Olive oil to coat pan  good tablespoon
  • Brown meatloaf mix in olive oil / ground sausage.  If very greasy, I pour the meat in a fine strainer to help reduce the fat and then place back in sauce pan pan 
  • Add garlic, salt, pepper 
  • Add tomatoes and some fresh basil and season with salt and pepper 
  • Simmer on low, stirring for a couple of hours usually minimum of 2

This will make enough for two – three meals. Stays fresh in frig for at least two weeks,

can be frozen for several months.

I’ve also put everything in the crock pot and let it simmer on high without the lid for a while

I season each ingredient separately therefore I’m not over salting or under salting

Twice Baked Stuffed Reuben Potatoes

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

These twice baked stuffed reuben potatoes are everything you want out of St. Patrick’s Day and reuben. Packed full of sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.

yield: 4 SERVINGS prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes total time: 1 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, drained
1/4 cup Russian dressing, more for topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Poke a few holes into your potatoes and wrap in foil. Bake for about an hour until the potato is soft. Once fully cooked remove from the oven, carefully unwrap and let rest for about 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Cut the potato down the middle, scoop out the potato insides (careful to keep the potato skin intact) and add them to the bowl of an electric mixer. Place your potato skin “shells” onto a baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes to create a “bowl” for your stuffed potato goodness.

In your mixer bowl full of potato insides add corned beef, 1 cup swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, butter and sour cream. Mix on medium speed until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick thing it out with a few splashes of milk. However, with the remaining moisture from the sauerkraut the mixture should be thin enough.

Remove the cooked potato skins from the oven and stuff each shell with an equal amount of the potato mixture. They will be very stuffed.

Top each potato equally with remaining Swiss cheese. Add back to the oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted.

Drizzle with a little more Russian dressing and a sprinkling of green onion if desired.

Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PORK LOIN AND PORK TENDERLOIN?

Although at first glance, these two cuts of meat might seem interchangeable, they are not. A pork tenderloin is thinner and smaller and a loin is very big and wide and steak-like — the loin is where pork chops are cut from.

You also cook these two pieces of meat differently. (And they’re not interchangeable.) A pork tenderloin is great for marinades and slow cooking. A pork loin is great on the grill or cooked on the stove.

Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients
1-2 pork tenderloins (see note)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend (see note)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons corn starch + 4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions
Set pressure cooker to SAUTE. Rub tenderloins all over with oil. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper to taste, then dried herbs and garlic powder.
Use tongs to place tenderloins in the pot, turning over every 1-2 minutes until browned on all sides.
Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and water and add to the pot. Put the lid on in the locked position with the steam valve closed. Set to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 15 minutes.
When cook time is up, allow to natural release for five minutes, then turn the steam valve to the venting position and remove lid once float valve drops down. Use tongs to transfer pork loin to a cutting board and set aside.
Switch pressure cooker to SOUP setting. Once boiling, stir corn starch into the 4 tablespoons cold water until dissolved, then pour into instant pot and stir until thickened to a glaze.
Slice tenderloins, then serve with balsamic glaze on top. Extra glaze can be stored in a jar in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
Notes
One large or two small-medium pork tenderloins (1 – 1 1/2 pounds each) work perfectly. You can also do one small-medium tenderloin but will have extra balsamic glaze leftover – you can keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
In place of the dried herb blend you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 teaspoon dried basil + 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary.

Reuben Baked Potatoes

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

Twice Baked Stuffed Reuben Potatoes

These twice baked stuffed reuben potatoes are everything you want out of St. Patrick’s Day and reuben. Packed full of sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.

yield: 4 SERVINGS prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes total time: 1 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, drained
1/4 cup Russian dressing, more for topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Poke a few holes into your potatoes and wrap in foil. Bake for about an hour until the potato is soft. Once fully cooked remove from the oven, carefully unwrap and let rest for about 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Cut the potato down the middle, scoop out the potato insides (careful to keep the potato skin intact) and add them to the bowl of an electric mixer. Place your potato skin “shells” onto a baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes to create a “bowl” for your stuffed potato goodness.

In your mixer bowl full of potato insides add corned beef, 1 cup swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, butter and sour cream. Mix on medium speed until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick thing it out with a few splashes of milk. However, with the remaining moisture from the sauerkraut the mixture should be thin enough.

Remove the cooked potato skins from the oven and stuff each shell with an equal amount of the potato mixture. They will be very stuffed.

Top each potato equally with remaining Swiss cheese. Add back to the oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted.

Drizzle with a little more Russian dressing and a sprinkling of green onion if desired.

French Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots &Dijon

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

1 bag of microwave 16 ounces French style green beans

4 tablespoons butter

3 shallots – sliced thin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Steam string beans in bag for 3 minutes

Melt butter in frying pan

Add shallots and sauté – till clear

Add brown sugar & mustard – cook 2-3 minutes till mixture carmamelizes

Stir in beans – cook till tender crisp. 3-5 minutes or throughly heated

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts), plus a bit more for garnishing if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blitz to blend well. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let dip come to room temperature, garnish with sliced scallions if desired, then serve with flat bread, fresh vegetables, crackers, chips or all of the above.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Christmas Sunrise Drink

~ kgladmon ~ Leave a comment

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of water
1 1/2 cups of cranberry juice cocktail
1/4 cup grenadine
4 cups tangerine/orange juice
2 cups chilled sparkling water or prosecco

Step 1
Cook sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Boil, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove syrup from heat; let cool about 30 minutes. Stir together cooled syrup, cranberry juice, and grenadine until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 4 hours or overnight.

Step 2
Fill 8 tall 12-ounce glasses with ice cubes, and pour 1⁄3 cup cranberry-syrup mixture in each glass. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup tangerine juice over the back side of a spoon into each glass. Do not stir. Slowly pour 1/4 cup chilled sparkling water into each glass. Garnish with tangerine slices.

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/christmas-sunrise-recipe

Potato Salad

~ elisag325 ~ 1 Comment

From: Nana

3 # potatoes cook with skin     in salted water

  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots (about three)
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery (about three)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 4 hard boiled eggs

 

5 # potatoes cooked in skin     with salted water

  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 6 hard boiled eggs

Skin cooled potatoes    chop to bite size

  1. add vegetables and mix well with dressing
  2. cut up eggs and mix in       I save 2 eggs to slice on top to decorate   Finish with a Sprinkle of paprika

Dressing

  • 3 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup prepared mustard
  • 5 teaspoons white vinegar
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • Mix all above well

This is enough dressing for 5 pounds.  You can refrigerate the left over for several weeks in the refrigerator when you make 3 pounds

I have also used the potatoes that are in the bag that you steam and left the skins on for a fast fix for dinner

 

 

 

Orange Cake

~ elisag325 ~ Leave a comment

From : Fran

Preheat oven 350        bake 50-60 minutes      Fluted cake pan

Orange Cake

  • 1 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/8 salt
  • 2 or 3 oranges  (grate skin from oranges) this
  • is where the flavor comes from
  •  juice the oranges (save for topping) I eat mine
  1. Beat butter, sugar, eggs well
  2. Add vanilla & milk
  3. Add 1 cup flour and, salt
  4. Add 2 heaping tablespoons orange rind   mix  well  (it can take three oranges to get a good flavor)
  5. Spray fluted cake pan well with baking spray (Bakers Joy)   can use butter and flour
  6. Pour batter into pan and bake                 check it about 45 minutes

Topping

  • 1/4 cup butter/ margarine
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup OJ
  1.  in a small sauce pan melt butter/margarine
  2.  dissolve sugar
  3. add OJ    hold till cake is done

Cake is done when cake tester comes out clean      remove from oven

  1. cool cake in pan for 2 minutes
  2. using cake tester (or tooth pick) poke small holes on top of cake while in pan
  3. slowly spoon topping over cake    syrup will fill in holes   make new ones
  4. make sure to add some to the edge of cake so it runs down the sides to the top
  5. cool cake in pan   several hours  when cool invert onto cake plate